Teaching audiences to view films actively
By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Christian Petzold
Starring: Jasna Fritzi Bauer | Mark Waschke | Nina Hoss | Rainer Bock | Ronald Zehrfeld
Jason says: “BARBARA starts at an interesting place; others with its basic template will set things up, give the audience a sense of who its characters are before putting them in a new situation. Writer/director Christian Petzold goes a different
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Jonathan Paley | Ross Finkel | Trevor Martin
Jason says: “I’ve already seen and reviewed a couple of movies about Dominican ballplayers trying to make the American major leagues – one fairly lightweight documentary (RUMBO A LAS GRANDES LIGAS) and one feature (the excellent SUGAR) – so I
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Kei’ichi Sato
Starring: Kinya Kitaohgi | Masako Nozawa | Megumi Hayashibara | Yoshihiro Ike
Jason says: “These days, there aren’t a whole lot of movies being made using animation because they wouldn’t work any other way; digital capture and effects have come too far, so even ambitious manga are done live-action now. There are
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Álex de la Iglesia
Starring: Antonio Garrido | Blanca Portillo | Fernando Tejero | Jose Mota | Juan Luis Galiardo | Salma Hayek
Jason says: “Is Álex de la Iglesia getting a little soft as he ages? Though he’s not credited with the screenplay here (nor is frequent collaborator Jorge Guerricaechevarría), it still seems a bit surprising that de la Iglesia, given material
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Giddens Ko
Starring: Hao Shao-wen | Ke Zhendong | Michelle Chen | Owodog | Tsai Chang-hsien | Wan Wan | Yen Sheng-yu
Jason says: “After watching YOU ARE THE APPLE OF MY EYE, I learned that it was even more autobiographical than most coming-of-age movies; read a rumor that it was among the most elaborate attempts gestures ever made to declare one’s
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Xan Aranda
Chris says: “If you’ve ever seen Andrew Bird live, you can understand why anyone would want to make a film about him. A singer, songwriter and classically trained multi-instrumentalist (most notably on violin and guitar), Bird has gradually harvested a
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Mads Brügger
Jason says: “More than with most documentaries, I find myself in a bind when watching something like THE AMBASSADOR. The part of me that goes to the movies for a good story winds up in conflict with the part that
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Rodrigo García
Starring: Aaron Johnson | Brendan Gleeson | Glen Close | Janet McTeer | Mia Wasikowska
Thom says: “There’s already serious Oscar talk for Glenn Close as Best Actress of 2011 & I wouldn’t make a big stink if she won. I’ve always like Glenn Close and she’s quite good here. But the problem with her
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Rating: 4 cats
Director: Yousry Nasrallah
Starring: Bassem Samra | Menna Shalabi | Nahed El Sebaï | Salah Abdallah
Bruce says: “Having seen Yousry Nasrallah’s earlier films THE AQUARIUM and SCHEHERAZADE: TELL ME A STORY, I now know what to expect. His films tell multiple stories, usually involving clashes between classes, religious groups and the old and new Egypt.
Read the review...By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Rating: 4 cats
Director: Takashi Miike
Starring: Akiyoshi Naako | Hiroki Narimiya | Mirei Kiritani | Rei Dan | Ryo Ishibashi | Takumi Saito
Jason says: “I’ve never played the Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney video game, but I gather it’s just as deeply silly as Takashi Miike’s adaptation, which I submit must be a good thing. I also suggest that it’s quite possible that
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